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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25399039">Comfort in the Stars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meribell64/pseuds/Meribell64'>Meribell64</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Claudeleth Week [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Claudeleth Week, Claudeleth Week (Fire Emblem), ClaudelethWeek2020, Comfort, Crying, Dimitri is mentioned, Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Grieving, Hurt/Comfort, Jeralt mentioned, Mourning, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Pre-Time Skip, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Stargazing, Stars, Wait does this count as angst, im calling it angst, it's a drabble bc i say so, no beta we die like Glenn, someone teach these two healthy coping mechanisms dammit, still don't know how to tag, wait is this considered a drabble</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:26:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25399039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meribell64/pseuds/Meribell64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Byleth was all dried out. There was no more tears to give. Or so she thought as one man and a sea of stars tell her otherwise. </p><p>Day 1: Stars/Comfort</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Claudeleth Week [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839541</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Claudeleth Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Comfort in the Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I.... am late because I hate myself. </p><p>Anyways, this is my first official contribution to Claudeleth Week and this is for Day 1, and I hope to be more prompt for the rest of the week (I'm lying to myself and to y'all). </p><p>I hope everyone enjoys!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a quiet night at the monastery as she tread through the familiar path towards the pond. The air was colder than usual, not uncommon in the chilly season of this time of year of the Pegasus Moon. Byleth’s eyes looked up towards the sky absentmindedly. The sky had no clouds in sight, leaving behind a beautiful scene of a speckle of stars with the full moon in view, shining overhead. </p><p> </p><p>For a moment, she thought about her father. Her shoulders slumped forward. A father she would never see or hear again. She pulled her jacket closer to her body, despite what little warmth it provided. She continued her trek to the pond, hoping to clear her mind of recent events. </p><p> </p><p>As she arrived, she was met with the usual calm quietness of the docks like she expected, but what she didn’t expect was to see someone else there. Drawing closer, Byleth made out a figure sitting at the edge of the docks, legs swaying back and forth, the tip of their shoes threatening to disturb the stillness of water. </p><p> </p><p>Once she caught the familiar sight of the glint of the golden band that held the familiar braid she was used to seeing, she realized who it was. “Claude.”</p><p> </p><p>He nearly jumped to his feet, startled like a cat would be when disturbed. After a moment, she watched him quickly relax when he turned his head back to see her. “Teach,” he greeted warmly with a smile stretched across his face. “Fancy meeting you here.”</p><p> </p><p>Byleth could only give a nod as she approached him. “Can I join you?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Go right ahead.” Claude scooted to the side and made room for her to sit. She stepped closer and carefully took the vacant seat next to him, raising her head to look at the sky as her legs hung off the edge, mirroring his position. “The stars are beautiful tonight, wouldn’t you say?” he asked, perhaps hoping to make small talk.</p><p> </p><p>She gave a slow nod. “They are…” she answered, in a quieter voice than she expected to speak in. Silence filled in the air between, and for once, she wished he would start talking again. Byleth found her gaze lowering to her folded hands in her lap, trying to find the words to speak. </p><p> </p><p>“So… Rhea said something special is supposed to happen at the end of the month right? Some kind of special ceremony?” Claude asked.</p><p> </p><p>There it was.</p><p> </p><p>A sigh left her lips as her head hung even lower. “I don’t know,” she stated, a strange bittered tone leaving her voice as she squeezed her hands together. “She’s expecting something, and I just have a bad feeling about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do too, if I’m honest,” Claude agreed after a moment. </p><p> </p><p>Byleth doesn’t turn to look at him and thoughts begin to flood in again. She closed her eyes shut as she tried to push them aside. She didn’t want to think about their next mission. She didn’t want to think about how she screwed up. She didn’t want to think about how she lost Sothis. She didn’t want to think about how she lost her father. She didn’t want to think about how incompetent--</p><p> </p><p>“Teach.”</p><p> </p><p>She was brought back to the present with a startle, her head snapping up and turning to look to Claude. She sees his worried expression, eyebrows furrowed together and forming a crease between his eyes. She can see how his eyes turn fierce as worry fills them. She must be messed up as she thought how the look makes him look endearing. “Sorry, I was… just thinking about something.” As Byleth began to gather her bearings, she finally realized a weighted warmth on her shoulder: it was his hand. “We should get some rest--”</p><p> </p><p>“Teach,” Claude calls her again.</p><p> </p><p>She stops. “Yes?” Byleth watches his face carefully.</p><p> </p><p>Claude’s lips were pressed firmly together, trying to formulate words in his mind before he spoke them. Something calculating, most likely, something to draw her to him maybe, or something about her well being? She wasn’t sure. She was never sure what went through his mind. </p><p> </p><p>Just as she was about to give up, he finally spoke, “Teach, you know it’s… it’s okay to cry.” </p><p> </p><p>It was her turn to furrow her eyebrows. “I think I did enough.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you though?” </p><p> </p><p>She didn’t answer. </p><p> </p><p>Claude’s expression softened as he removed his hand from her shoulder. He turned his gaze back to the sky and she couldn’t help but follow it. The stars were sprinkled throughout the sky, twinkling in the distant and just faintly in the sea of them, you could see the brightest star of them all. A faint memory surfaced in her mind, thinking about her father would point to that specific bright blue colored star, saying if she was ever lost, she should find that star and use it as her guide. </p><p> </p><p>As her father’s voice faded out, Claude’s voice replaced it. “It’s okay to keep crying,” he finally said, in the softest voice she has ever heard it. She didn’t dare look at him as he continued, “I don’t believe there’ll ever be enough crying for someone you love.”</p><p> </p><p>Someone she loved. Her heart twisted painfully as she recalled her father’s words about her first tears. She placed her hand over her chest, never to feel its heartbeat that was never there. She felt a lump in her throat as she swallowed. “I don’t think… I ever said I loved him,” she realized.</p><p> </p><p>Byleth clutched the fabric of her tunic tightly, to stop the trembling of her fingers, but it seemed to be futile as her body began to shake instead. She hears Claude’s voice again, “I think he knew though. Even if you didn’t say it.”</p><p> </p><p>She feels a sudden warmth over her other hand. She looked down to see Claude’s hand over it, quietly wrapping his fingers around it and giving a gentle squeeze. With what little nerve she had, she finally looked up to him. All she could see was the profile of his face, illuminated by the dimmed lights of the stars and the light of the full moon. If Byleth didn’t know any better, it would seem like his eyes glimmered like a dark emerald jewel in the light. His expression remained passive and neutral, and yet a gentleness took over in his eyes. She felt another squeeze to her hand from him.</p><p> </p><p>“Teach, it’s okay to cry,” he said to her again.</p><p> </p><p>As Claude’s words began to settle, Byleth felt her body shake. She lowered her head, hair hanging over her face to hide the tears that fell before she even realized it. Full, fat, wet droplets fell from her chin to his hand. She did her best to hide her quiet, choked sobs but it was no use. Her body shook as she cried next to him. Claude said nothing as he held her hand tightly, keeping his gaze to the sky.</p><p> </p><p>She cried until she couldn’t anymore. Byleth wasn’t sure when leaned into his body and grasped onto his hand as if it was her lifeline, both staring up to the stars as their source of comfort. </p><p> </p><p>Byleth wished the night was longer had she known what would have happened next. <br/><br/></p><hr/><p><br/>“Teach.” </p><p> </p><p>Byleth jumped up startled upon hearing her name being called. She immediately recognized the voice and didn’t bother turning around. “Claude,” she greeted as she scooted to make room. She kept her eyes at the sky, watching the stars twinkling prettily as the full moon hung overhead, illuminating the docks with its light. </p><p> </p><p>Immediately, she felt him sit right next to her, closer than she expected him to be as his pants brushed against her fingers on the wooden docks. “Can’t sleep?” he asked her. </p><p> </p><p>She shook her head as before returning her gaze to the sky. “No. I…” she pressed her lips together. “I couldn’t stop thinking about Dimitri.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah. Yeah, what Hilda said…” Claude trailed off, seeming unable to finish the thought. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I saw him. He was completely different from how I remember him. He looked like a crazed demon while he was fighting. He pursued Edelgard as she retreated, but he didn't get far before he collapsed. I saw him surrounded by Imperial troops and... pierced by their spears. I'll never forget it. He deserved a better end.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Hilda’s words stayed with Byleth since then and swore she could hear her voice cracking just a bit as she recounted what she saw. She couldn’t imagine seeing such a thing and yet the very image stayed with her for nights on end. Was there nothing Byleth could have done? Couldn’t she have tried to reverse time just enough to stop him? <em> Could </em> she have stopped him if she tried? Would Dimitri--</p><p> </p><p>“Byleth.”</p><p> </p><p>She stilled upon hearing her name spoken. “Yes?” she stammered out. Did she just stutter?</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Claude asked, worry dripping from his voice.</p><p> </p><p>When Byleth turned to look at him and answer, she stopped. She saw his lips pressed firmly together, his eyebrows furrowed together to make that familiar crease between his eyes with a fierce worry that filled them. She remembered how she thought how endearing it made him look. It still did, but with five years of hardness and weariness shadowing it. </p><p> </p><p>She brought her hand up to his cheek, her fingers gently touching the chinstrap beard he grew along his chiseled jawline. She gently traced it along his jaw to his chin with her finger, her blunt nail gently scratching along it, as if she was scritching a cat. Like a cat, he seemed to stiffen under her touch when he first felt it, before slowly relaxing. They stayed like that in silence before she finally answered in a quiet voice, “I’m fine.”</p><p> </p><p>Claude has grown in the past five years. He changed and it was only now hitting her that she realized everyone has changed while she hasn’t. Her gaze lowered from his face towards the water, slowly dropping her hand down to the wooden plank as she faced forward. </p><p> </p><p>Her heart ached painfully, in a familiar feeling when she mourned for her father. She closed her eyes. Now she mourned for her students that was once under her tutelage once upon a time. She mourned for the lost prince whose heart was too kind for the world. </p><p> </p><p>Byleth felt a familiar weighted warmth over her hand. When she opened her eyes, Claude’s hand laid on hers. Was his hand always this large? He wrapped his fingers around her hand before giving a gentle squeeze. A gesture he had done five years ago at this very spot and under the same starry sky. When she looked up, she saw the profile of his face, eyes glued to the sea of stars above them with the moon hanging over them. “It’s okay, Byleth,” he whispered to her. </p><p> </p><p><em> It’s okay to cry </em>. </p><p> </p><p>She didn’t respond. Instead, she scooted closer to Claude, holding his hand tightly as she rested her head on his shoulder. Together, they looked up at the stars together. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, prickling in the corner. She closed her eyes, turning her head to bury her face into his shoulder. She didn’t quite sobbed. She didn’t wail. She cried. She mourned. She grieved. Tears soaked the cloth of his shirt, taking all the sadness that welled up inside her into them. </p><p> </p><p>When she let the final tear drop, she wiped her face with her sleeve, but kept her head rested at his shoulder. Byleth held onto his hand tightly, as if it was her only lifeline to the world. Like the night so many years ago, she and Claude stared up at the sky, watching the stars twinkling with one large blue star being the brightest, as if to outshine them all. But just next to it was another bright star. </p><p> </p><p>While not as bright, it glowed bright enough to stand out from the rest of them. It was one that neither Claude or Byleth recognized, but wondered, if Dimitri had found peace among lights in the sky. </p><p> </p><p>As Byleth glanced up to Claude, she squeezed his hand. “It’s okay to cry,” she whispered to him. </p><p> </p><p>He said nothing, but as their hands held onto one another, she watched a single tear dribble down his cheek. They kept their eyes to the sky, allowing it to be their source of comfort, as well as the other. </p><p> </p><p>They stayed underneath the starry sky and would do so again for many nights in the years to come. </p>
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